Moving to a new city is the start of something, but it can also be a fairly stressful experience. Whether it’s a move from a small town to the big city to establish a career, moving to start studies somewhere new or even moving to utah from florida and experiencing a different way of life, changing cities always takes some adjustments.

New friends to make, new favourite places to discover, getting to grips with transport and hunting out new favourite hairdressers, coffee shops or hang outs – there’s a lot that can leave you feeling like a fish out of water. So if you have a big relocation to do, follow these tips.

Aim to Take a Weekend Trip There Before the Move

If your big move is the first time you’ve experienced your new home, it can easily be overwhelming. If you can, book a couple of days of vacation time or take a weekend to visit your destination and see how you really feel about the place. It’s also useful to use the time to view a few residential neighborhoods and scope out where exactly you want to live, if you have a choice. Things will feel much more familiar if you have a visit or two under your belt before permanently relocating.

This is an opportunity to see what kind of city you are moving to, whether you are moving to a growing city or somewhere that is a little quieter. There is no right and wrong here, but you do need to know what you are getting into, and the only way to be sure of that is to spend some time in the new city. So aim to do this as early on as you can, and it should help you out a great deal on the whole.

Get Your Finances in Order

Moving for any reason and setting up a new life can be expensive, so it’s a good idea to make sure you have your personal finances in order before the move. Take the time to revisit your budget and your savings. How much are your bare minimum outgoings each month? How much do you have as a ‘cushion’ to keep you going? Think about the things you’ll need to buy straight away. Will you need to find a job in your new location? Will you need a down-payment on somewhere to live? A travel pass? Note down all your expected expenses for the coming three months or so. Work out your back-up plan as well, just in case things don’t go to plan. You may want to find some savings or have a credit card for emergencies.

Set up Your Move

Once you’ve found some accommodation to look at and some jobs to apply for in your new location and sorted transportation for you and your belongings, then think about what you need to do to wind up things where you live. You may need to deal with the sale of a home, or with giving notice on a rented property. Remember to notify utility companies of the date you’re leaving, so that you aren’t liable for future bills, and also forward your mail and leave a contact address with the new occupants, just in case.

With all that sorted out, you’re ready to begin your new chapter. So take a deep breath ans throw yourself into it! Once you make that move, you’ll never look back.